Alone No More
by Sresian
Summary: This is a follow up to my story - Alone. This was originally meant to just be a one-shot but I decided recently to just go ahead and make a second one-shot to follow it up.


Ed still vaguely recalls the night that he first told Roy Mustang that he loved him. It had begun as one of the worst nights of his life. He had been on the verge of yet another breakdown, worse than any since his mother had passed. Roy had barley saved him from himself that night and it had been a lucky thing that Al had noticed Ed's crying the last time Winry had come to visit.

A little over two year later, Roy and Ed had moved in together and were just about as happy as you could think. Ed was working in a nearby school as an alchemy professor and Roy was now a General. It was a rare weekend when Ed didn't have papers to grade and Hawkeye hadn't given Roy paperwork to take home.

It was such a weekend that Ed would remember later as the best weekend of his life, second only to when he spent his first weekend with Al after he had his body back.

"Would you like to play a game?" Roy asked, surprising Ed enough to look up from his book. Normally on weekends like this, they would spend their time in bed or reading. Ed couldn't remember the last non-sexual game he'd played with Roy.

"What type of game?" He asked skeptically.

Roy hesitated for a moment before answering. "I'm not sure that there is a proper name for it," He said, "however, I can tell you the rules."

Ed was intrigued, he had to admit. "What are the rules, then?"

"There's something hidden. I planned on surprising it with you at the poker party that we are having tomorrow, but…" He didn't need to finish. Roy was notoriously bad at hiding things from Ed once he had purchased it. His last two birthdays he had received his birthday present two days early. "Well, in any case, if you can find it, you can open it tonight."

The curiosity was already burning in Ed's mind and the excitement of a gift from Roy helped spur him on to play Roy's game. "Alright, do I get any clues?"

"Only one, I'm afraid. The surprise in question is small and hidden inside the house." That wasn't much of a clue considering how large their two story house was. It was a two bedroom (a spare for when their old friends or Alphonse came to visit), two bathrooms with a study, living room, formal dining room, kitchen, and a small breakfast nook.

It was nearly 10 at night before Ed finally let out a frustrated growl. Ed hadn't found a single sign of any type of present, surprise, or gift hidden away anywhere. He had tried every drawer, every cabinet, and any furniture that had any kind of open space and hadn't been able to locate this object. Roy had stayed put in the bed where he had been since that morning when he asked Ed about the game.

Suddenly, Ed felt very, very stupid. The only reason Roy wouldn't have followed Ed to taunt him about being too dim witted to find the present was if he was sitting near it to begin with. He turned from the dresser (his last place to destroy in search) to glare at his lover. "You're a sneaky bastard, you know that?"

Roy smirked, "Oh, you finally put it together a bit, did you?"

Huffing, Ed stomped over to Roy's side of the bed and ruffled through the few things on Roy's bedside table while Roy continued to watch with that same cocky smirk. Ed huffed again when it wasn't there. He then took a look at the bed and with a glimpse of an idea, he shoved his hand under the pillow before Roy could even think about stopping him.

Feeling victorious, Ed ripped out a small box from under Roy's back. "Hah! I win!" He laughed.

"Well, I suppose I have to let you open it as those were the rules." But the smile on Roy's face didn't make it feel very much like Roy had lost the game at all. The younger alchemist pondered the box for a few minutes. It was just a very basic, small black box. There didn't appear to be anything that special or great about it.

"What's in it?" He asked, again skeptic.

"You should open it if you want to know." The older stated.

Ed growled again, "I suppose." He sat on the edge of the bed and opened the box. Inside of it was a small black band with sparkling ruby in the middle. For a very long time, or what seemed to be to him, Ed just stared at the ring. "What's it for?" He finally asked. Roy had never given him jewelry since most alchemists avoiding wearing any.

"What do you think it is for, Ed?" At this point, Roy was leaning against Ed's shoulder, peering at the small ring along with his young lover.

"Well, it's a ring." He said, stating the very obvious.

"Yes…" Roy prompted for more.

"Well…" Ed hesitated, "most people only give these to people when…" he paused again. "Well when they want to…y'know."

"I'm not sure I do." Roy said in his most teasing tone.

Edward huffed again, "You do so." He paused again before going on very quickly, "They wanna get married and all that crap."

Roy laughed, "Yes, that is exactly why people give out rings." He tugged playfully on Ed's ponytail. "So what logical assumption do you think you can make from all this?"

"That…you want to get married?" His voice let Roy know every doubt that Ed may have had that he was right about this.

With disappoint, "Does that mean no, Ed?"

Ed ducked his head forward so that his bangs could hide some of his face. When Roy brushed his bang back, he revealed that Ed's cheeks were burning a bright red. "No. I'm just…surprised."

"That would be the definition of surprise, love." Roy teased as he wrapped his arms around Ed's waist. "Is that a yes then?" He whispered in his ear.

"You idiot." Ed said, his voice cracking just slightly before he turned on the bed and wrapped his own arms (flesh and metal) around Roy's neck before kissing him passionately. After a few moments of passionate kissing, Ed pulled back a little, "Of course it's a yes."

Roy grinned and pulled Ed down on top of him on the bed. "I'm so happy. I love you, Ed."

"I love you, too." And he kissed his future husband.


End file.
